North Korea, Paris, David Letterman: Your Wednesday Briefing

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The U.S. naval base at Apra Harbor, Guam, in 2016. North Korea has warned that it is considering a strike that would create “an enveloping fire” around the western Pacific island.CreditJeffrey Landis/Department of Defense, via European Pressphoto Agency

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson sought to reassure Americans about North Korea today, after a recent exchange of threats between Pyongyang and President Trump.

“Nothing I have seen and nothing I know of would indicate that the situation has dramatically changed in the last 24 hours,” said Mr. Tillerson, who was returning from Asia. He made the comments during a refueling stop in Guam, the U.S. territory that North Korea warned that it might strike.

Google said it had dismissed the engineer, James Damore, for “advancing harmful gender stereotypes.” He replied, “I have a legal right to express my concerns about the terms and conditions of my working environment.”

Noteworthy

Join a graffiti tour on a trip through Bogotá, where the form has evolved into a mixture of social commentary, cultural expression and art.Published OnAug. 9, 2017CreditImage by Nathan Griffiths/The New York Times. Technology by Samsung.

Glen Campbell sold an estimated 45 million records and had numerous hits on the pop and country charts in the 1960s and ’70s, including “Southern Nights” and “Rhinestone Cowboy.” He was 81.

Barbara Cook was a Tony Award-winning leading lady in Broadway musicals of the 1950s and ’60s who overcame alcoholism to reinvent herself as a cabaret singer. She was 89.

• Bill Murray relives a role.

The comedian was in the audience Tuesday night during a performance of “Groundhog Day.”

Mr. Murray was watching the Broadway musical, based on the 1993 movie in which he starred, for the first time — or did it just feel that way? Our reporter was there.

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Bill Murray addressed the cast and crew of “Groundhog Day” after Tuesday night’s performance. “There’s nothing worse than seeing someone that’s out for themselves. And you are all in it for each other,” he said.CreditHilary Swift for The New York Times

• Best of late-night TV.

Like most people who follow the news closely, Stephen Colbert had a lot on his mind on Tuesday.

“Corporate America is stepping forward, speaking loudly about the fact that this will have a chilling effect on business opportunity in this state.”

— State Representative Byron Cook, the Republican chairman of the House State Affairs Committee, who has refused to call a hearing during a special session of the Texas Legislature on a bill restricting transgender bathroom use.

Back Story

Colonized by Britain in the 19th century, the island city achieved self-governance in 1959.

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The National Day Parade in Singapore in 1966. Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister, described the city-state’s independence in 1965 as “a moment of anguish.”CreditSingapore Press, via Associated Press

A few years later, in 1963, Singapore merged with a federation of Malay states to establish Malaysia.